Homebrew Bright Bear Species Details
A star shown brightly down onto the forest below. Magic pulsed and mystified many of the forest's inhabitants but none more that the ursine dwellers. From miles around many bears gathered together and seemed to share a similar process of thought. After a weeks time, many of them discovered identity and philosophy. Some began to have full conversations and some began to assist visitors to the forest in return for food, knowledge, and eventually even coin.
Thus the Bright Bear Race was born, a collective of bearfolk learning to be more sentient and free thinking, able to speak common thought and even think it. They named their forest Starbright after themselves and the star that most likely gave them their intelligence and wisdom.
Born as simple bears, these beastly looking people still behave like many tribal based civilizations. Some are still ostracized by society for being beasts turned civil and others find their almost adorable appearance uplifting. Most are curious about how these people came to be but no one is quite sure. Most tend to stay in the forest where their existence is praised by locals and travelers. Others wish to learn more about the world and possibly what caused their races sentience.
Bright Bear Anatomy
Bright Bears are bears of all kinds of shape, size, and color. All have small ears, big muzzles, and lots of fur, as most ursine species do. They have become more bipedal in nature but when moving long distances tend to move on all fours as they become faster when doing so. They talk in lower tones than many species and typically growl and huff when angry, many of those who have made one angry, wet their pants simply from the roar of indignation offered to them.
Clan/Racial Bonds
To any Bright Bear, the clan is more important than life itself. Bright Bears had only each other to love, learn, and experience life with for much of their own existence. It is these ties that make up the race itself, a binding of soul, family, and recognition regardless of blood or species. Only the stars offer them any higher power than that of the family.
Bright Bears cherish knowledge and surprisingly kindness above all other facets of life. To Bright Bears people were kind to them and therefore they wish to return the kindness, many will give people way more than one chance to prove themselves. However, Bright Bears are also crafty, they can usually tell when someone has ill wishes within them/
Above all else Bright Bears are loyal, and fierce protectors. A friendship struck with one means they will fiercely protect you should you ever be in need of assistance. While kind, they are still brutal fighters and massive walls of fur and fury when protecting ones they care about.
Bright Bear Names
Bright Bear Names are typically to do with nature or what is able to be seen around them at birth. Common translations are also very literal.
Male Names: Slate, Ash, Coal, Cypress, Soot, Blue, Flint, Forest, Grove, Gust, Leaf, Quill, Sky, Thorn,
Female Names: Amethyst, Clover, Blossom, Daffodil, Daisy, Fern, Jade, Jasmine, River, Gale, Rain,
Bright Bear Traits
Your wild bear nature manifests in a variety of traits you share with other Bright Bears.Keen Smell
The sniffer on a bear is quite powerful. The bear has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Claws
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
Bite
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 2.
Multiattack
Bright Bears Second or Extra Attack must be some kind of unarmed fighting, hitting, clawing, or unarmed striking being the most effective. Bright bears may be smart but without thumbs, they have a hard time holding onto items like other adventurous can.
Size
Bright Bears are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 240 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
Bearly Acting
You can use your action to pretend to be a normal bear. When you use your acting ability, each creature in the area of the performance must make a wisdom saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature that views the Bright Bear acting will see the Bright Bear as a normal bear and dismissed on a failed save, and will know that it is not a normal bear on a successful one. Bright Bears gain advantage on first attack against creatures that dismiss it. After you use your Bearly Acting you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Beast Speech. Beast Speech is the "language" or communication of animals. The knowledge and awareness of many beasts is limited by their intelligence, but at minimum, beasts can give you information about nearby locations and monsters, including whatever they can perceive or have perceived within the past day. You might be able to persuade a beast to perform a small favor for you.
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